Posted on 04/10/2009 10:32:45 AM PDT by DouglasKC
The secular components of Easter (clearly a result of conflation with celebrations of Spring) are no worse than the secular aspects of Christmas.
Absolutely. Or no better.
Agreed. They both honor Christ splendidly.
Ishtar alert!
While many certainly believe this, Christ himself told us which holy days were his and how to honor him:
Lev 23:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.
Lev 23:4 'These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.
Jesus Christ, our Lord, tells us in his holy scriptures which holy days are his. He does not count Christmas, Easter or Good Friday among these.
You’re quoting Christ from Leviticus?
My Bible has a New Testament.
Apparently that’s unusual.
Certainly. He is the eternal, the Lord, the one who uttered these words and caused them to be written down and preserved.
That’s exactly what I was wondering about!
Not really. The Lord while incarnate as Jesus never failed to observe the holy days he proclaimed.
How deliciously fanciful...
The Old Testament has the absolute same authority as the New Testament. It has the same authority as Christ own quoted words, because in essence they are Christs words.
I take the commands of the Lord and believe them when he specifies HIS holy days. He does not mention Easter or Christmas.
I also try to follow (albeit imperfectly) the examples he set while incarnate. These include observing the holy days he himself observed while incarnate. Our duty as Christians is to walk as he walked:
1Jn 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
1Jn 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
You wrote:
“The Old Testament has the absolute same authority as the New Testament. It has the same authority as Christ own quoted words, because in essence they are Christs words.”
Uh, are you sure that they both have the ABSOLUTE SAME authority NOW?
In other words, would you support the execution of adulterers? (Lev. 20:10)
How about stoning rape victims - if the rape happens inside the city limits? Deuteronomy 22:23-24
You posted:
“1Jn 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
So you believe in animal sacrifices? Jesus did in His days on this earth before His own sacrifice.
But the Church which He founded for us DOES. The Catholic Church is His provision for our care, and His Church, in Her wisdom and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, sees it entirely fit and proper to celebrate the birth of God as Man, to soberly and coldly reflect on His Crucifixion for the remission of our sins, and to celebrate in His Resurrection His triumph over death.
>> The justification for the Lenten 40-day preparation for Easter is traditionally based on Jesus’ 40-day wilderness fast before His temptation by Satan (Harper’s Bible Dictionary, “Lent”; Matthew 4:1-2; Mark 1:13). The problem with this explanation is that this incident is not connected in any way with Jesus’ supposed observance of Easter. The 40-day pre-Easter practice of fasting and penance did not originate in the Bible. <<
Absolutely true, and absolutely meaningless.
I don’t think the time or the actual place effects mankind. Our Lord could have died and risen from the dead anywhere. To raise any questions now would be like the Pharisees of His time. All technical!
And the Pharisees of His time as well as today were/are oblivious to the most important event in history.
The death and Resurrection of our Lord to save our souls.
It amazes me to imagine what Christ did for the forgiveness of my sins on this day and then to try to wrap my mind around a vision of Christ who would condemn the celebration of His Resurrection.
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